Italy is an incredible country to live in, as it has beautiful landscapes, pleasant weather, and a peaceful lifestyle. Even better, it offers myriad opportunities for entrepreneurs and professionals. Moreover, the education and healthcare systems are among the best in the EU. These factors make it an ideal immigration option for retirees, young professionals, and families alike. The good thing about it is that you have diverse routes for acquiring citizenship in Italy, and you can get it in one way or another.
Perhaps, the easiest among these routes is citizenship by descent, which entitles you to claim through your bloodline. Obviously, people with Italian heredity can apply through this route, but it is only the tip of the iceberg. There is much more you need to know and understand about Italian citizenship by descent for completing the journey successfully. Here is a detailed guide in going back home and claiming your rights through your bloodline.
Eligibility criteria
While the descent route covers prospective immigrants with ancestral roots in Italy, there is much more about the actual criteria. Fortunately, the Bersani Law Firm website provides a great guide here to understand the details. Here are the factors that make you eligible to access citizenship through Jure Sanguinis:
- You must be of Italian descent, indicating that either or both parents should be from the country. Even an adopted individual is eligible, provided that the adoption happened when he or she was a minor. The age criteria for a valid minority is 21 years if adopted before 1975 are 18 years if adopted after 1975.
- You can claim it through grandparents and great-grandparents too. The Italian-born ancestor should have been alive and a citizen after the formation and unification of Italy in 1861.
- The ancestor should not have given up citizenship by naturalization. If they naturalized, it should have happened after the birth of the next person in the Italian bloodline.
Apart from the aforementioned criteria, there are some exceptions you must be aware of. You cannot claim through a female ancestor if you were born before January 1, 1948. Females were not allowed to pass on citizenship rights to their offspring before this date. The Italian government took measures to address this discriminatory stance later. While you cannot apply through the conventional Jure Sanguinis process if you fall under this exception, you still have an option. You can claim citizenship by female descent through the 1948 case, which involves a judicial process.
Documents and paperwork
Once you are sure about eligibility, you need to get started with collecting the documents. Essentially, this is the trickiest part of the process because you will need a long list to show your identity and validate your ancestral roots in Italy. Here is a checklist of documents you will require for the process:
- Copies of your passport and driver’s license
- A proof of current residency
- Your birth certificate
- Birth certificate of your Italian ancestor from their comune
- Marriage certificates
- Divorce judgments if any
- Death certificates
- A copy of the declaration of Petition for Naturalization
- Naturalization certificate of the Italian relative in the US
- A filled application form
All documents issued outside Italy have to be Apostilled in original to be valid. You will also need certified translations in Italian if the papers are in another language because it is the only official language in Italy. The list of documents is long enough, and the process of authenticating and translating them can get even more complicated. Additionally, flying down to Italy to procure local documents is another challenge. But letting Italian Citizenship experts handle the tasks can make you stress-free.
Application process
After arranging the documents and records, you are all set to go ahead with the Jure Sanguinis process. You will have to fill the forms and get an appointment at your local Italian Consulate. The appointment can take up to a year or more. Timelines depend on the pending applications already in line at the Consulate. Conversely, you can travel to Italy and apply locally to expedite the process. It is a good option because you can set up a legal residence even during the application process. The transition to your new life will be a tad easier for you and your family when you are already there. Once you get Italian citizenship by descent, you will have a second passport for yourself and your family. It enables you to travel visa-free anywhere in the EU and access all other benefits of a local. Moreover, citizenship rights automatically pass on to the next generations. Although the process takes time and effort, it is worthwhile.
Italian citizenship assistance
The documentation and process for Italian citizenship by descent is complex, and there are good chances of errors and misses. It makes sense to have an expert to show you the way. Local Italian citizenship assistance experts are the best people to help. You can choose one with the relevant expertise and experience to make the process seamless for you. Besides helping you to process the application, they can simplify the procurement of the records of your ancestor from a local comune. These professionals have the advantage of local connections, making it a tad easier to access old records from their files. You will not even need to travel to Italy to get the records in the first place. Additionally, citizenship experts assess your documents and ensure that everything is in place. When you apply with flawless documentation, there is hardly a chance of anything going wrong.
Italian citizenship by descent is the fastest and easiest way for families to immigrate and start a life in Italy. But you have to ensure your eligibility in the first place. Proper documentation gets you a step ahead with the process. Everything boils down to understanding the requirements and fulfilling them to perfection. Collaborating with an Italian citizenship expert for professional guidance covers you on all fronts. They make sure that you get your second passport at the earliest.
Author Bio
Kathy is a digital marketing specialist with OutreachMonks. She also has an interest in writing and holds expertise in various niches such as travel, lifestyle, healthcare, and culture.
